The Mission
by Oreo's.Gummi
Summary: When 10,000 players got stuck in the world of SAO, a secret organization of anti-game cheaters and hackers decided to send their very own beta tester to the game to help the trapped players and find a fellow agent who also got stuck inside. Now, this agent must battle the game and himself to finish his task and get back to the real world alive. Fun starts at chap2. Chapter4 is up!
1. Prologue: Mission Accepted

Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online and any of its characters. Credits to the creator and animators that made this amazing anime! :) I own my OCs though. :P

**Sword Art Online**

**The Mission**

**Prologue: Mission Accepted**

A cool breeze blew inside the tense room that bathed in the lights of computers and heating CPUs, which made low humming noises in the quiet room. An old man clad in formal American clothing sat on a chair behind his desk and looked on towards the horizon outside his glass window. In his hand, he held a CD case with the words "Sword Art Online" written in front of it. Standing across his desk were two men, one young and one old, clad in casual clothing, looking towards his direction with troubled eyes. They had not encountered this problem before, but they knew the stakes were high.

"This is a dangerous task..." finally said the old man sitting on his chair, "If you die there, you'll die here in the real world. Are you sure you can take the risk? You're one of our best hackers.. If we lose you-"

"I need to try, boss! Ten thousand people are locked up inside that game and the only way to get out is by fighting!" exclaimed the younger man, with his arms slightly outstretched towards his boss. His eyes were full of despair and trouble. "I'm sure the beta players will not stay with the newbies for long and will go their own way to fend for themselves.. If the beta players don't help then the newbies might not be able to stand a chance against the first 10 bosses! Many people will die, boss!"

"What about that boy, Kirito, from the beta testing group? Won't he fight with them?" asked the older man beside the younger.

The younger looked at the older and sighed.

"He may fight with them.. but, from what I've seen with him before, he's not the kind of guy to go around with newbies. He might stay a solo player..." replied the younger, "I'm guessing he will try to go off on his own and defeat bosses, clearing fields and mobs."

The younger frowned and looked at the old man in his chair, clenching his hands and putting them at his sides. "Please. You HAVE to let me go in! I'm a beta tester! I can help them beat the game! They need to get out! She needs to get out! I need to find.. her.." His voice trailed and fell silent, as though the deadly hands of the Reaper came over his mouth to silence him. Tears welled up in his eyes.

The old man in his chair stood up and sighed. He looked toward his star pupil and smiled gently. "You wish to save someone, don't you?" he asked.

The younger man could only nod silently as tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He had not cried over anything since his mother died, yet now, he was crying for that only person who has shown him compassion since that traumatic day, who was now trapped in the death game.

"Alright then, you have my permission," said the old man and held up the CD case towards his pupil. He watched him carefully as his student took the CD case from his hand. "This is your mission, and possibly your last if you don't do well. Your main objective is to clear the game or at least help the other players clear it. Use your beta knowledge to guide the new ones. Find Kirito. He might be able to help in your mission. Your secondary objective is to find her. This is not priority for us, but it is a priority to you. Do remember, however, that your main goal is to defeat the game at all costs. Don't let this search hinder you from doing what is needed. Your final objective is to get back here, alive, and tell us details of the game. You need to do all of these without dying."

The younger nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, boss. I'll be back; you can count on that."

The old man sat back on his chair and sighed then, looking back at the younger, he gave a warm smile. "Operation 'SAO End' will start tomorrow morning, at 5am sharp. You can prepare yourself first until then. Dismissed."

With what, the young and older man bowed and went outside the room. The older looked at the younger and sighed.

"Good luck kid. You'll need it," said the older man as he went off on his own.

The younger went off and exited the building, making his way back to his apartment. The sky was now lit with street lights and burning stars. As he neared his apartment, he looked towards a playground where he and that girl would usually play together and share stories. Clutching the CD case in his hand, he smiled and quietly entered his apartment door.

"..I'm coming for you.. Anastasia.."

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Hi guys! This is my first fanfic in a looooooong while and I haven't written anything outside of school since, I dunno, 3rd year high school. I hope you like this fic! :D Give a review please~ :)


	2. Chapter 1: Entering the Death Game

Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online and any of its characters. Credits to the creator and animators that made this amazing anime! :) I own my OCs though. :P

**Sword Art Online**

**The Mission**

**Chapter One: Entering the Deat****h**** Game**

It was 3 o'clock in the morning and the sound of alarms echoed through the quiet neighborhood. The young man woke up groggily and turned off the source of the annoying sound. He had never woken up this early for anything before. But now, it had been around 16 to 17 hours since 10,000 players have been trapped in SAO. It then had been 16 to 17 hours since that girl has been trapped. It was time to wake up.

He stood up and did his normal daily routine since it would be the last time he would be doing it in the real world for a long time. After finishing his routine, he fixed his room quickly and looked at the clock.

4:30am..

"Its almost time. I'm coming Anastasia.. I'm coming to save you."

He took his NerveGear and the CD case with the SAO game and made his way down to front gate, where he was met with his fellow agents. He quietly went out of his apartment and, upon locking it securely, rode towards the building where he was to access and enter the game for the first and last time. The cool breeze blew past his face upon his arrival to the building. There, he was greeted by his boss, who looked at him anxiously.

"Are you sure you want to push through with this?" his boss asked.

Nodding, he replied, "I've never been so sure in my entire life."

With that, he went inside the building and into one of the medical rooms where he would remain the whole duration of the game. He laid down on the soft, cold bed and started to adapt himself to the cold that will slow his heart rate and vital signs. He straps his NerveGear on and waits until the gear was ready to work. He looked up to his boss and smiled.

"Don't worry boss! I'll be back before you know it. Believe me, I'll get back as soon as I can."

"You better, kid. You better."

Closing his eyes, he smiled and braced himself for the adventure of a lifetime.

"Link start!"

* * *

**(Shinrin's POV)**

Bright lights rushed towards me as I logged inside the game. After several checks, the log-in menu popped out. _This is it. No turning back now. Here I come, into the depths of that death game_. I logged in and clicked my beta character. I closed my eyes and, upon opening them again, I have been teleported at the Town of Beginnings. Looking at my upper left side, I saw my HP gauge and my name. _Shinrin.. I'm back again.._

* * *

__Hi! Quite a short chapter here but it'll start getting longer from here on out. :) Thanks for reading! I'll be posting the next chapters in a while or so! :D Please give a review~ Thank you~! owo


	3. Chapter 2: The Start of an Adventure

Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online and any of its characters. Credits to the creator and animators that made this amazing anime! :) I own my OCs though. :P

**Sword Art Online**

**The Mission**

**Chapter Two: The Start of an Adventure**

Shinrin looked around the plaza with delight. He never imagined that he would go back into this world for the second time after his chance to play in the beta test. Looking around, he noticed that people were just walking around the plaza as if nothing were wrong. Girls were laughing at guys trying to get their attention, guys were trying their best to impress the ladies. The market was also busy with merchants selling their goods to swordsmen who tried to find good buys without the hefty price. It seemed as if the tension slowly disappeared, making their lives a bit more manageable even in this prison game.

_Perhaps they're trying to get by with what they have right now.._

He started walking around the alleys and walkways aimlessly, trying to feel the virtual breeze and taking in the fact he was back. His semi-long brown hair flowed with the wind. His brown eyes shone brightly with hope and determination. Basking in the virtual sunlight, he smiled and clenched his hands tightly. He decided to head out of the town for a quick stroll. Making his way towards the forest right outside the Town of Beginnings, he smiled at a small clearing.

_Yes.. It was here.. At that time.._

* * *

**(Flashback)**

"Watch out!" I shouted before jumping towards a swordsman, blocking his attacker's attack. "Now's your chance!"

He rushed in and thrust his sword deeply inside the lizard monster. The monster shattered into a million pieces and gave us a few moments to relax a bit. I panted a bit and sat down the grass. The swordsman sat across me and smiled.

"Thanks for saving me back there," he said.

I blinked and smiled, "No problem."

He held out his hand and gave a sly smile. "I'm Kirito."

"I'm Shinrin, call me Shin for short," I replied, taking his hand in mine and shaking it gently.

We remained quiet for most of the time while eating our bread. When we were done, he stood up quietly and started to leave.

"Ne, Kirito.." I started to say. He stopped and looked at me. "Good luck!" I said with a grin.

He smiled and waved his hand gently. "You too!"

Then he just disappeared..

* * *

Shinrin chuckled at the memory. He touched the flowering tree that gave them shade during that encounter.

"Kirito.. Where in the world are you now? You did survive, didn't you?" he asked himself. Then, he smiled, "Of course you did.. You're one of the best. I need to find you.. And, together, we may be able to finish this task.. and rescue her.."

Being in this virtual world was all he thought about when he was in the beta test and even after it. Although he didn't get as far as Kirito did when they started out, he still prided himself for getting a first-hand experience with the game before its official release. During the first month of his beta testing, he always stuck by Kirito and they became quite a team, destroying mobs and killing bosses together. However, they separated ways by the 6th floor after Kirito decided he could now go off on his own. Respecting his decision, he made his own path. He never forgot Kirito, however, as he was the first person he ever befriended in the game.

Looking up the sky, Shinrin decided it was time to go back to the town where he would start his search.

"Time to get started," he said, taking in a deep breath, "First things first, the inn."

He walked towards the inn through a shortcut he learned in the beta test. Upon arriving, he entered the inn and, when he got inside the room, looked through all his equipment. He smiled at himself. _One handed straight sword. Perfect. _He equipped his basic armor and sword before heading out on his search.

"Please be here, Anastasia.."

Running around trying to locate his main objective, his Anastasia, he heard a scream in a narrow alley way. _What the! _Making his way to the alley, he saw 3 men harassing a young girl. He took his courage and started to dash towards the harassers.

"RAAAAAAAHH!" he shouted before tackling one of the harassers who was pinning the poor girl down. The attack was enough to knock off the harasser and onto his fellow harassers. Getting up, he took her by the arm and made a run for it, trying to leave the harassers in the dust. They ran towards the plaza where they could easily blend in.

"Are you okay?" he asked the girl, who was panting and gasping for air. He led her to a safe corner where he gave her a drink. She gladly took the drink and calmed down. "Would you tell me what happened?"

She stayed silent for a while, her long chestnut hair covering most of her face. He smiled at her and said in a gently tone, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I just wanted to know what happened. But if you don't want to tell, it's okay as well."

"M-Muu.. I-I was staying inside my room after the system announcement said that we were trapped here for good.." she finally said, "..B-but I got hungry so I decided to go and buy some bread. T-then those thugs came and harassed me for my items.. I-I tried my best to fend them off but couldn't. U-Until you showed up.. t-thank you.."

Shinrin smiled and waved his hand a bit. "Nah, that's no biggie. But you're welcome." He held out his hand and said with a small grin, "My name's Shinrin. Just call me Shin."

"Shin.." She looked at his hand and took it in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm Asuna."

He blinked and gazed at the girl's beauty. Her deep, bright hazel eyes piercing his soul. Her long brown hair now flowed neatly at the sides of her face, giving him a better look at her. Her smile was bright and her demeanor was refined and, in a way, elegant.

"Asuna.." he said, "Is it okay if I place you in my friend's list?"

She smiled and nodded gently, "Sure!" She opened her menu and requested a friend invite to Shinrin, which he gladly accepted.

"Will you go soon, Shin?" she asked him, not quite sure what to do now.

He thought about it for a while before smiling at her gently, "I was going to look for someone here in the Town of Beginnings so I might take a little longer before I move to the next town. I'm considering leveling up as well."

"E-Eh?" Asuna blinked and looked at him curiously, "Y-You're searching for someone?"

He nods, "Yeah.. she's my best friend.. e-erm, my lover.. She got stuck here as well and I'm not sure if she's still around or not. I wasn't with her when she entered the game so I don't know where she went."

She nods slowly and looks at him sadly, "I-it must be hard to look for someone with no way to telling where they are huh? O-or if they're still here.."

"Yeah.." Shinrin nodded, "Why did you ask?"

Asuna gently shakes her head and smiles at him, "N-no reason.. Just wanted to know. A-anyway, I better get going. It's getting late and you need to start your search." She stood up and bowed gently at him. "Thank you for saving me again. I owe you one."

"Nah, like I said, it's no biggie," he smiled at her and looked towards the inns. "I'll take you home ok?"

She smiled and nodded. "O-Okay, t-thanks, Shin.."

Both went off to Asuna's inn, where Shinrin said goodbye to his new friend. "Contact me if you need anything, okay Asuna?"

"Will do, Shin!" she smiled before waving him goodbye. He made his way towards the plaza and started his search anew. Smiling to himself, he looked towards the sky.

"This is going to be one hell of an adventure," he said before taking off to find his Anastasia in the Town of Beginnings.

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Hi everyone! Thanks for reading this fic and I hope you enjoyed it! Enjoying it, rather! :)) I'll be posting another chapter tomorrow as soon as I get back from the cemetery to visit my late grandfather. Once again, thank you for reading this fic! Reviews are very much welcome! :)


	4. Chapter 3: Asuna

Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online and any of its characters. Credits to the creator and animators that made this amazing anime! :) I own my OCs though. :P

**Sword Art Online**

**The Mission**

**Chapter Three: Asuna**

Shinrin walked around the Town of Beginnings, hoping to find his Anastasia. He wasn't sure if she was still around, or if she had not survived the first day of the game. All he knew was that he had to find her, track Kirito, and, with the three of them together, defeat and clear the game as quickly as they could. It was something he had to do in order to fulfill his mission.

The day slowly drew to a close, the night sky slowly pushing away the morning sun. It had been a long day, yet he knew this day will not end any time soon. Determined to find his lost girlfriend inside the game, he pushed on. Shinrin searched and searched, looking between alleys and inside inns to see whether she'd be here or not. Yet he could not find her.

_Maybe outside? She might be leveling.. Or took off to the next village? Oh Anastasia.. Where could you be..?_

He walked on towards the forests outside the town. He scanned the perimeter and noticed several players leveling with boars. He ran towards them.

"Hi, can I ask you something?" he asked politely to the group of curved sword wielding players.

"Sure," replied one of the players. He had long unruly black hair held together by a bandana and an unkempt face. He looked like one of those samurai warriors from the early a days of Japanese feudal wars.

Shinrin gulped a bit and smiled nervously at him, "I was just wondering if you saw a girl with black shoulder length hair and hazel eyes around.. I lost her when we entered the game and I need to find her.."

The man looked at him like he was crazy and laughed a bit, "Dude, there's tons of ladies here with that kind of hair and eyes. If I did saw anyone, she might not be the one you're looking for. What did her armor look like, anyway? That might give me a clue."

Shinrin shook his head and sighed a bit, "I wasn't with her when she logged on so I'm not sure about her armor.. She has a scar over here though.." He touches the left side of his neck and drew an invisible scar.

The man blinked and tried to remember. "Well, I did notice a girl with a scar there when Kirito and I were leveling up together.."

The name sent shivers down Shinrin's spine. "K-Kirito? Y-You mean, the beta tester Kirito?"

"Yeah, short hair and a cute face, why? You know him? WOAH!"

Shinrin grabbed his clothes and shook him gently. "Where did he go?"

The man blinked and tried to break free from Shinrin's grip. "He said he was going to the next village. He knew that the resources he in the Town of Beginnings were going to be used up quickly so he decided to make a break for it and went ahead. I'm sure he's there already.."

Shinrin scoffed a bit at his ignorance. "Of course…" He bowed to him and ran towards the path leading to the next village. Shouting loudly, he said, "Thank you!"

The man fixed his clothes and blinked at the running man, "Y-You're welcome...?"

Shinrin ran towards the next village, killing monsters and mobs getting in his way. He needed to find Kirito quickly, and maybe his skills and knowledge would help him find Anastasia.

Ring ring!

The noise made Shinrin stop in his tracks.

_A message from Asuna? I wonder what's wrong.._

Opening his message box, he read Asuna's message.

* * *

_From: Asuna_

_To: Shinrin_

_"S.O.S. forest need assistance mob dying"_

_End message._

* * *

The message sent chills down Shinrin's spine. _Asuna's in trouble! _He used his tracking skill to track Asuna and, upon finding her footsteps, followed it. What he saw at the end shocked him. Around her were 10 lizard monsters, the same monsters he fought with Kirito when they first met each other. This time, there were 10 and he was alone. Asuna was down on the ground, struggling to get up. He grabbed his sword and ran towards the monsters.

"Asuna! Run!" he shouted while defending her from the monsters.

She got up and slowly ran away, scared of the monsters that got to her. Now, Shinrin was all alone with the monsters. Taking a side step, he slashed one of the monsters and watched it shatter to a million pieces. Another one made a downward slash towards him, but he dogged and jumped, slashing its head off in the process. _I think I can win this!_ He thought to himself before slashing another. Suddenly, he got caught on one of the lizards' tails and fell down the ground, losing his sword in the process. He looked up and saw a lizard's sword making its way towards his body. _T-This is it.. I'm done for!_ He braced himself for the worst to come. Yet it didn't. Looking up, he first noticed that long brown hair flowing gently with the wind, then that small beautiful physique that boasted of elegance and beauty, then the sword that she held, blocking the lizard's attack.

"A-Asuna.."

"You better get up and get that sword..!" she shouted at him with a slight smile on her face.

He nodded and got up, grabbed his sword and activated his sword skill. "Get out!" he shouted before his sword skill made him dash towards the lizard. She got away just in time before he slashed the lizard in half, smashing it to a million pieces.

He jumped back to her side and looked at her with a smile. "Why'd you come back?"

"Friends stick by friends right? Besides, you can't go at it alone, yep?" she smiled and winked at him.

Filled with new determination and energy, he nodded and smiled, and clenched his sword tightly. "Let's do this thing!" he said before running towards the remaining lizards with Asuna and slashing him to pieces.

Moments passed and the last of the lizard mob disappeared to oblivion. Shinrin and Asuna panted heavily and laid on the grass. _I gained 6 levels there.. Wew! _He smiled at himself and looked at Asuna. She looked back at him and smiled back.

"Congrats," she said, "You gained quite a lot of levels. 6 right?"

He smiled back and nodded gently. "Yeah, 6 levels. How 'bout you?"

She looked at her menu and giggled a bit, "I got 5 levels."

He nodded and smiled. "You should try sticking by a few players next time you come here. It's late and not a lot of people will be able to save you if ever you get caught in something like this again.."

"You'll be there, won't you?" she looked at him worryingly.

He looked down and shrugged a bit. "Maybe if I were in the perimeter.. b-but I won't be able to protect you if I'm too far away.."

She smiled at him and threw a small rock at him. "Train me then. Level with me. We can find your girlfriend while we level. Then, when you think I've hit the right level, I'll go solo."

"I.. I dunno.." he replied reluctantly. Looking at the night sky, he weighed the pros and cons of letting Asuna join him. He had to go to the next village to find Kirito, and he was yet to find his girlfriend as well.. But he couldn't just leave and risk Asuna's life by going at it alone.

She took his hand and smiled at him with teary eyes. "Please.. Just until I'm able to fend for myself.. I just need someone to help.."

He looked into those soulful eyes and saw desperation and loneliness. With that, he nodded and smiled. "Okay, until level 15, at least."

* * *

"GAAAAAAH!" Asuna shouted and thrust her sword into a mid-boss' light armor. She spun around and thrust her sword into its shoulder, ripping it wide open. Getting back on the ground, she activated her sword skill and thrust hard into the monster's chest. Millions of pieces flew and the mid boss was all gone. She smiled to herself and looked at Shinrin. "I did good?"

His jaw dropped and his nose bled. Asuna had locked herself up in her inn for a week before she finally came with Shinrin to level. _She got so scared about dying.. But now that she shows no fear, she's making insane leveling! _It had only been three days since they started yet Asuna was already clearing field bosses and mobs with exceptional speed and elegance. She had just recently gotten her Rapier skill past the 500 skill mark. She got to level 15 fairly quickly, even quicker than he ever did.

"Hello? You okay, Shin?" she waved her hand at his face.

Getting back to reality, he smiled at her. "That was perfect! At this rate, you'll be able to go solo in no time!"

She smiled and went to a big tree root where she sat. "Yeah, you're right. I'm nearing level 16 now.. How high up are you now?"

"Level 24." He smiled and sat down beside her. "You're doing really great, Asuna. Continue that and you'll be able to defeat anyone that goes against you."

"You think?" she giggled and looked at him. "Thanks for getting me this far, Shin."

He stood up and grinned. "No problem! OOF!"

She hugged him tightly and clinged gently. "I'll miss you too.. P-Please visit me when you can okay?"

Smiling and stroking her hair gently, he replied to her. "I promise I'll visit. And I'll miss you too. Come, let's get you back to the inn, okay?"

"Okay.." she smiled and they walked back to the inn.

* * *

Shinrin smiled at her and led her to the front door. "Here's your stop. Good luck, Asuna!" He waved at her and proceeded to go to the next village alone.

Finally back on the road, he made his way to the third village. After 10 days of being with Asuna, he felt the thrill of being a solo player once more. _I wonder where Kirito and Anastasia are now.. _He ran with all his might to the next village, in hopes of finding the two. With his sword in his hands and his mind firm on his goal, he killed every monster that came across his path.

"Wait for me.. I'm coming!"

* * *

Hi guys! Thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you're still enjoying it. :) Thanks to those who reviewed, faved, and followed this fic! :D It's been a while since I've written anything so yeah. ^^ Comments/Reviews are very much appreciated! Thank you again and I'll more power to you readers! Next chapter's gonna come in a bit. :D


	5. Chapter 4: Hero

Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online and any of its characters. Credits to the creator and animators that made this amazing anime! :) I own my OCs though. :P

**Sword Art Online**

**The Mission**

**Chapter Four: Hero**

**(Shinrin's POV)**

The cold winds blew across me as I ran towards the northern village, nearest to the first dungeon. I could hear screams, loud shrieks, and mourning moans from the people around me. A huge ball of fire ripped open the floor beneath us, the ground shaking and shattering with immense force that could wipe out a whole nation. I took shelter in a cave near the edge of the next village yet I knew that was not going to hold up for long. Large dinosaur-like feet stomped the ground as hard as it could, rattling the whole floor with earthquakes. I braced myself as another surge of earthquakes shook the land.

A field boss had been awoken at the wrong place, at the wrong time. And now, it was making a rampage throughout the forest it was supposed to guard. Right now, some of the players are trying to defeat the boss but most of them would eventually perish. Timing the earthquakes, I quickly ran towards the edge of the forest where it and the next village met. Going inside the village meant being safe from harm for now. Just before I entered the village, the huge field boss appeared behind me. I looked at him. His dark red eyes pierced my soul, his body stained with virtual blood. He looked like a dragon with the devil's horns and a pitchfork used to destroy people and place them in their graves. His three tails swished back and forth, bringing down trees he hit. One could even mistake him for a floor boss with that strength. He roared loudly and started to charge. Lighting roared through the now dark skies.

Trying to defend, I grabbed my sword and tried to charge. But I couldn't. Instead, I fell down the ground, hopeless. _Paralysis?!_

I was trapped. Nowhere to go, no way to defend.. I just accepted my fate and closed my eyes.

THUD.

I opened my eyes only to see the boss was down on the ground, shattering to pieces. On top of it, a young man with short black hair and black eyes looked at me intensely.

"Welcome back, Shin."

"K-Kirito?!" I looked at him with disbelief. _He was there, he was truly there! _He dropped down and went towards me. "H-Help, Kirito. I-I'm paralyzed!"

He smirked evilly at me. "Why would I help you? During the beta test, you forgot all about little Kirito, didn't you? I know what happened after we parted during the beta test! Why should I help you then?" He laughed maniacally.

"Kirito, I didn't-"

"Save it, Shin!" a huge earthquake rattled the earth and ripped open the piece of land near my head. I panicked and tried to squirm away from it. He walked close to me and smirked. "Bye, Shin."

He kicked me off the cliff and, slowly, I fell down the ravine. I looked at his direction, trying to see any hint of compassion left in those eyes yet I saw none.

"Kirito.. N-No.. NO!"

THUD.

* * *

Shinrin woke up in his room with cold sweat dripping from his skin. He sat up and looked around. The clock told him it was just 5am, an hour early than the usual. Wiping away his sweat from his face, he stood up and made his way to the kitchen to get something to eat.

"Kirito.. I wonder.." he whispered to himself before getting one of the bread he bought from the shop. He had just arrived at the third village the night before. Upon arriving, he immediately went to find Kirito and his girlfriend. He still didn't find them. An information broker told him that Kirito had already proceeded to the next and final village in the first floor but there was still no sign of Anastasia anywhere.

Gathering his stuff, he equipped his armor and sword, and made his way outside the inn. Shinrin walked around the village, taking a break from all the fighting. Getting to level 24 was more of a pain than he expected. "I wonder how much levels Kirito already got.." he said to himself. "What do you think Asuna?" He blinked and sighed. The sudden realization that the girl he had been with for the past 10 days wasn't around to talk to him made him quite lonely.

Shinrin had been leveling with Asuna for the past 10 days but, now, he had gone his own way, leaving a fully capable Asuna to fend for herself. For some reason, however, he started missing the bubbly girl. Coupled with his chilling nightmare, he felt lonelier than ever.

"Asuna.."

He walked to a small plaza at the middle of the village and sat down. He wasn't feeling well, and he wasn't liking it at all. Looking around, he took note of the busy people walking in the plaza and the adjacent market. _What if he hates me now? What if.. I can't convince him to help me in my mission? W-what if.. he kills me?_

The cold air blew hard on him. The once bright skies slowly turned to dark, the air getting moist, and rain fell gently. Looking up, tears welled up in his eyes and started to weep. Hopelessness filled his heart, ripping his soul, making him feel weak. _I'm sorry, Kirito.. I never wanted to break our friendship that time.. I didn't want to join them.._

"Shin?" a feminine voice called out from the darkness.

"Huh?" Shinrin looked around, looking for the source of the voice. No one around him but his guts told him to move. Getting up, he followed the voice towards the forest heading to the next village.

"Shin... Shin, come save me.. Shin.."

_Anastasia?! _He runs to where the voice came from. Cutting down bushes and vines, tripping on roots, getting gashes and bruises, he didn't stop. Rain poured even harder, drenching his clothes completely. Mud stuck to his clothes as he headed deeper into the forest. _Faster.. I have to run faster.. I have to get there faster.. Anastasia..! _The air seemed like nothing, the rain becoming like sharp needles at the speed he was running. He jumped, twirled, and slashed before he realized he was lost.

The voice disappeared into the darkness, and left the shivering man alone. He stopped and panted hard, looking desperately around to find any bearing. Shinrin dropped down his knees and looked aimlessly towards the darkness ahead. He was lost, cold, hungry, and alone. Falling on the ground, he laid quietly on the mud, broken. The weight of the world pushed him down to the edge and he couldn't get up. _What if this is impossible? What if.. she's gone? What if there's no hope of escape? What if the only way to live.. is to die?_ He didn't want to think of it, but his situation gave him cause to think. He closed his eyes and let the virtual earth eat him up.

* * *

**(Shinrin's POV)**_  
_

Cold.. it was all cold. No light, no solid ground. No hope. No everything. Just the cold. I opened my eyes to see nothing. Just the void. I'm dead, am I? Floating in this void towards the light, I looked up to nothingness. Everything was black, dark, lonely. Suddenly, a faint light twinkled beside me. Looking at the only company I have left, I saw my whole life flash before my eyes.

My family. My friends. My boss. My organization. My Anastasia. They all appeared to me, waving their hands, saying goodbye. I smiled, and waved back. At least, for the last time, even in this game, I was able to see them. One last time.

"Shin.." a feminine voice called out to me from the darkness. I smiled and looked at the direction from which that voice came. Then, I saw her.

Black, shoulder-length hair flowing gracefully in the void, bright brown eyes looking at me with delight, slightly pale and thin, and a smile that could make anyone fall head over heels, Anastasia made her way towards me, holding my hand in her cold ones. She wore her uniform, a white blouse, black blazer with matching short, black-and-red checkered skirt. Just as I remembered her.

"Wake up, Shinrin. Wake up. Don't give up," she told me, her eyes tearing up slightly.

I looked at her with confusion. Slowly, she leaned down and, cupping my cheeks, placed a gentle kiss down my forehead. "Hurry, Shin. Wake up, you need to go."

A white light enveloped me, and soon I started to disappear from the void. I reached for her yet she was already far away.

"Wake up, Shin. Wake up."

* * *

"Wake up, Shin! Wake up! Hurry!" a feminine voice shouted at Shinrin.

Shinrin slowly opened his eyes and saw someone he never expected to find. "A-Asuna?" He couldn't believe it. He slowly got up, with the help of the petite girl. He looked at her with confusion and sat down a tree root. "W-What's going on? How'd you find me?"

"Well, I followed your footsteps.. well, I asked someone to follow your footsteps. You weren't replying to my messages. I thought something happened to you so I asked someone to track you. You're all dirty!" she wipes his face with a cloth. "We have to get out of here. A field boss has appeared and we might get in his way. The fourth village isn't far from here. Let's head in its direction."

They walked silently through the bushes and trees. The rain had mostly subsided and sunlight lit the area around them. For once, after getting lost in the forest, Shinrin was able to find bearings to where he was. That's until they heard a loud roar. It echoed through the forest, making animals hide in fear.

Thud.

A loud rumbling sound shook the earth. Asuna and Shinrin stopped in their tracks, looked around and grew cold.

Thud. Thud.

The rumbling and thumping grew louder. Heavy breaths echoed closer and closer towards them. The ground shook harder beneath them, ripping the soft, moist earth.

Shinrin saw the huge monster he saw in his dreams go to reality. The dragon, taller than the average tree, towered upon them. _Draco the Devil's Hand.. This is bad.. _

"RUN!" shouted Shinrin, grabbing Asuna's hand and heading for a cave as fast as he could. The large devil lizard saw and chased after them. Its large lizard feet sent shock waves across the forest, making it hard for the two to run quickly. He quickly realized that the lizard will head for the next village like in his dream. Making a tough decision, he looked at Asuna.

"Asuna, you have to listen to me. This boss is headed to the village. I need you to go back to village three. I'll distract him so he won't get to you. I'll lead him somewhere else. Head to the previous village, ok?" he told her, grabbing his sword and clutching it tightly.

She looked at him worryingly but nodded, "O-Okay, message me when you're safe." With that, she headed towards the previous village.

Shinrin stood up and looked at the big lizard monster heading his way. Looking up, he activated a sword skill and dashed towards the monster. He dodged an attack and hit the monster at his knees. Roaring, the monster dashed at him. Shinrin dodged and manages to make a run for a cave. He sensed players coming his way and hid under the cover of darkness.

"I might be safe here.." he said to himself, taking shelter deeper inside the cave. Suddenly, a roar shook the insides of the cave. A mid-boss lizardman appeared behind him. "Shit."

He uses another sword skill and dashed towards the mid-boss, making criss-cross patterns before slashing his opponent's body in half. The lizardman roared in pain, swinging its sword across Shinrin's throat, mere centimeters away. He made a turn and slashed its arm off then its head. The lizardman disappeared and shattered completely. He panted and looked deeper inside the cave.

"No good. Have to get out." He ran out the cave and towards the village nearest to the first dungeon. He heard screams of death behind him, probably from those who tried to defeat the lizard monster. He neared the village when his path was blocked with a tree that fell after an earthquake.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.. THud.. THUd.. THUD.. THUD..

"Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit...!" Looking behind him, the lizard monster stared at him with utmost bloodlust. He had virtual blood all over him. "Just like in my dream."

He took his sword and ran toward the monster. Draco dashed towards him, its pitchfork pointed to his chest.

"RAAAAAGHH!" Draco thrusted his pitchfork with great accuracy onto Shinrin's chest. Shinrin barely dodged and ran up the pitchfork, slashing Draco's face after reaching the end of the weapon. Dropping to the ground, Shinrin prepared to attack again when he felt pain on his side. "S-Shit..!" Virtual blood trickled down this side, and the status of _Paralysis_ appeared on his "screen". He gulped and fell down the ground.

_This is it.. isn't it?_

He tried to move, denying the fact he'd die. Suddenly, a flash of black and blue dashed towards the lizard monster. Its movements were just too fast to catch. After a minute or so, the lizard monster dropped and shattered slowly. On top of it was a young man with black hair and eyes. He smiled at Shinrin and jumped down to the ground, walking towards the paralyzed player.

"Welcome back, Shin."

"Kirito!"

* * *

Hi again! Back with a new chapter! :D Hope you're enjoying it. It might take me a bit longer to update this fic 'cause I have, finally, driving lessons. :D So yeah, please leave comments/reviews on what you think of the fic so far so I can make it better for you readers! :D Thank you for reading this fic and hope to update soon! :D Thanks to those who reviewed, faved and followed! :)


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